Warning

This email from Ellen Freidin (leader of the Redistricting campaign that successfully passed Amendments 5 & 6) refers to several recent articles showing that Florida redistricting is a topic of high national interest. There is also a link to a video of court hearings to decide whether to use the unconstitutional map for the 2014 elections. The article includes a link to Friday's hearings before Judge Lewis - this These hearings are NOT boring, but very entertaining courtroom drama. The attorneys for the legislature are in an unenviable position, and the Fair Districts attorneys very eloquently take them to task.

The FLORIDA TODAY article of May 5, 2013, "A lagoon in collapse? Something is happening in the Indian River Lagoon" has some serious shortcomings, to the point of obscuring the underlying causes of the problem. In particular, the article prominently and inaccurately states "nobody knows why," suggesting that the root causes of the Indian River Lagoon's environmental collapse are unknown.

On December 11th the Brevard County Commissioners will be voting on the Fertilizer ordinance we (Marine Resources Council) have been working with them to pass. Nutrients from fertilizer runoff is the biggest issue we face in restoring and maintaining a healthy lagoon. Without a healthy lagoon the very base of our local economy is threatened. We need help to show the county commission that they have the support of the community in getting this ordinance passed.Please plan to attend.

Barack Obama is a Great President. Yes, Great. By Jonathan Chait, New York Magazine - "What can be said without equivocation is that Obama has proven himself morally, intellectually, temperamentally, and strategically. In my lifetime, or my parents’, he is easily the best president. On his own terms, and not merely as a contrast to an unacceptable alternative, he overwhelmingly deserves reelection."

Since the Citizens United ruling in January, 2010, "independent expenditures" have flooded into political campaigns from Super PACs. These uper PACs finance TV and radio attack ads that are generally negative, very often misleading, and frequently outright lies. And by the way, “independent expenditures” is a complete misnomer. I leave it to you to decide whether the supreme court majority was complicit in the political corruption or merely stupid to think that political donors would spend tens to hundreds of millions of dollars and not figure out how to coordinate it with the campaigns.

Florida Representative John Tobia (R - District 31) conducted a survey prior to the 2012 legislative session on a number of issues - the results are available at the link below. Based on just the question about drilling for off-shore oil and gas (77% in favor), it seems his more progressive constituents may have ignored the survey. If true, then these results may be skewed to the right of even right-leaning Brevard County. (Read more to see attachment)

Florida Initiative for Electoral Reform (FLIER) has provided sample emails to use for contacting your Florida Representative and Senator this week to support legislation which would reverse the several voter suppression bills that have already been passed into law. Please act this week. For more about the good work done at FLIER, visit http://www.floridaelectoralreform.org.

This post is a review of The New Jim Crow, by Michelle Alexander. It is related peripherally to campaign financing because there are powerful economic forces who thrive on the nightmare presented in her book, and which will spend mightily in political contributions and lobbying to prevent any change. The book is a powerful one, and I recommend it for all SCPA members.

The Space Coast Progressive Alliance advances progressive policies at the local, state and national level through support of political candidates, education on critical issues, coordination of activities among local and state progressive organizations, and providing internet resources. We are a grassroots organization of concerned citizens who strive for domestic and international policies beneficial to the well-being and self-determination of Americans and all peoples of the world, for protection of civil and personal liberties, and for progressive environmental, economic, labor, health care, social welfare, education, foreign, and defense policies.